Facile preparation of Nb2O5/TiO2 heterostructures for photocatalytic application

Nb2O5/TiO2 heterostructure was prepared using the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method and characterized by different techniques. The sample was submitted to a photocatalytic degradation test using the discoloration of rhodamine B under UV-C irradiation for 90 min as a marker. Nb2O5/TiO2 showed an improvement in the photocatalytic benchmark compared to Nb2O5, to which it was possible to discolor 100% rhodamine B by essentially a 10% superior output. The samples showed good chemical stability after four different reuse cycles. In addition, the positive charges h+ were distinguished as the active species that most influenced the photocatalytic performance of the material.